Client: Arts Fort Worth

Overview

RIGHT TURN ONLY is a vortex of decentered directions, where condensed traffic arrows spiral inward and twirl upward toward the sky. Drawing inspiration from the roundabout’s cyclical motion and preexisting signage, the installation playfully nods to the street signs surrounding the roundabout, serving as an extension of the city’s topographical roadways.

Inspired by Fort Worth’s rich aeronautical history, once the site of the country’s most extensive aircraft manufacturing program, RIGHT TURN ONLY mimics the circular air patterns created by wingtip vortices often shed from the wings of ascending planes. The spiral shape, which delicately touches the ground, symbolizes growth, rebirth, and ascension. As the viewer’s perspective shifts, the sculpture transforms—becoming a gust of wind, a nest, and then the interior of a shell.

Constructed from hundreds of brightly painted traffic arrows, RIGHT TURN ONLY’s steel and aluminum structure gracefully meets the surface of the Las Vegas Trail roundabout. The sculpture extends 20 feet into the air, acting as a bold and whimsical landmark for this reemerging community.

Goals

Integration is essential to this artwork. During the community outreach phase, residents set goals to guide its development, emphasizing visibility, bright colors, new beginnings, hope, rejuvenation, and universal appeal. The artwork references roundabout signage and local aeronautic history, inspired by wingtip vortices. It needed to be dynamic from all angles, as it would be viewed by pedestrians from every direction.

The integration was further enhanced by allowing the artist to influence the roundabout's design. Concrete bands spiral out from the center, reinforcing the artwork’s cyclical motion and the site’s function. Neutral tones in the roundabout make the artwork's bold colors stand out. The delicate manner in which the sculpture touches the ground adds beautiful dynamism, further integrating it into the space.

Process

Collaboration is core to my work, and it was essential throughout the creation of RIGHT TURN ONLY—from concept selection to design development and installation. For the design, I partnered with a Computational Designer to develop custom scripts, generating hundreds of design variations. This collaborative effort allowed for a rich exploration of possibilities.

Next, I worked closely with a structural engineer and fabricator to ensure the artwork was both structurally sound and easily fabricable. Their expertise was crucial in translating the complex design into a physical form that maintained its artistic integrity and met all safety standards.

Additional Information

This project stood out due to the pivotal role of the community in the selection process. As usual, I presented the community with several directions that encapsulated the artwork's goals. The discussion was centered around a more subdued concept when a group of youngsters from the local RISE center joined. Their energy and youthful enthusiasm shifted the conversation abruptly as they pointed decisively to RIGHT TURN ONLY and exclaimed, "THIS ONE!". Their input played a crucial role in shaping this vibrant public artwork.